Compost!

Sitting behind this desk day after day makes me really envy the farmer. The farmer gets out there every day to work on their garden and tend to the animals. It’s physically exhausting work, but I imagine just so rewarding. I’m sure after a few days of manual labor like that and I would be grateful for my quiet little desk job, but it’s nice to dream. Although just because I am not a farmer doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate some of their rituals into my life and create my own little money saving farm!

My First step is a compost pile. I have researched and gotten the ins and outs from a woman who has been composting for most of her life. If you are worried about it attracting animals place it away from your house, although the general consensus is that it doesn’t seem to attract any more than normal.

Setup: Look for a spot that is easy for you to get to, is not in the way, and will get sun and rain. If you have a kitchen window, putting it just outside is perfect because then you can just throw items from your kitchen to your compost. For me, I didn’t want it so close to the house as it’s somewhat of an eyesore. So I keep an airtight container on my counter that I use to hold my compostable trash until it’s full. Once you have found your spot enclose it in some wire fencing. If you choose to use a large bucket remember that it needs to aerate so you will need to keep a cover off of it and put holes all throughout the bottom. A fenced in area may end up working better for you because you can enlarge it when needed.

To get things started we just placed a small piece of old wire fencing around the area where we will be keeping our compost. Soon it will be time to take a trip to Lowes and get a larger piece, but for now reusing something that would have been garbage is practical, financially smart, and green.

How much time will this take and why compost? Once a week go to your pile and sift and mix it with a shovel. In a year’s time you will have the most fabulous soil for your garden and that will save you money on buying large bags of planting soil from the hardware store. Also you’re reducing the amount of garbage you throw out, which costs money to remove and it’s good for the environment. Going green can and should be frugal!
What can you put in your compost? Natural Matter Only which includes; Egg shells, fruit, veggies, coffee grounds, leaves and grass clippings

What not to put in your compost? No proteins such as meat, no peels like orange or banana (some people do add these things, but they take longer to break down), and obviously no unnatural matter

I am hopeful that this compost will aid in the ultimate goal of a personal vegetable garden. (More information to come) I do not nor have I ever claimed to have a green thumb so this will really be a challenge for me and a new domestic savvy adventure!